Convention 2016 Re-Cap

On September 16th and 17th, Episcopalians from across the state came together at Convention 2016 at Shattuck St-Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota. We accomplished business and spent time exploring this year's Mission Opportunity - Engaging God's Mission of Racial Reconciliation: Hearing Our Stories, Healing Relationships. The purpose of the Mission Opportunity is to dive into a specific area of action in order to make a collective impact.

Each year, the Bishop's address sets the frame for where we've been this program year and where we're headed together. Check out a clip of Bishop Brian N. Prior's address at Convention here .

At Convention, the talented Valerie Tutson, renowned African American storyteller, guided us through storytelling activities. We were asked to practice the skill of listening deeply for understanding and valuing the sharing of others. This is key to engaging in racial reconciliation, as it allows us to cultivate transformative conversations that lead to deep understanding.

During Eucharist on Saturday, The Rev. Jennifer Baskerville Burrows delivered a compelling sermon that invited all of us into this journey of racial reconciliation through the simple practice of sharing a meal together. Video of the sermon will be posted, but until then, you can view the transcript of the sermon on our website.

Want to see some of the images from the event? While, we don't have the official pictures from our photographer yet, you can find a few on facebook by searching for #ecmn2016 or by clicking here. Or, just check out the ECMN facebook wall!

At Convention, there were updates on the important work being done across the state, including the expansion of ECMN camping opportunities for young people. Check out this video highlighting this year's camp.